


Like a Dream (Like a Nightmare)

by theidiotwiththepaintedface



Category: House of Wax (2005)
Genre: Emotional Manipulation, Kidnapping
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-08
Updated: 2021-02-02
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:14:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,096
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27952154
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theidiotwiththepaintedface/pseuds/theidiotwiththepaintedface
Summary: You run out of gas during a road trip, so you trek into the nearest town to get some. You're invited to stay the night by an intriguing pair of brothers.Something feels off, but you let yourself be wooed by the men regardless.But are they just misunderstood... or are they dangerous?
Relationships: Bo Sinclair/Reader, Lester Sinclair/Reader, Vincent Sinclair/Reader
Comments: 12
Kudos: 52





	1. Meeting the Artist

**Author's Note:**

> Tags and warnings will be updated as chapters are posted.
> 
> This fic was started on an old blog and abandoned. I've decided to revamp the existing chapters and continue from there!

You glance all around you.

_Silence._

The buildings around you are dark. Eerily quiet. You peer in a nearby window, only to find the room empty. Sure, there’s furniture, but there’s no sign of _life_.

You’ve come across some quiet towns in your travels, but Ambrose takes the cake. You creep up to a shop window. You’re excited to finally find living creatures in this (seemingly) ghost town. You smile softly at the puppies napping on the sill. You can’t help but coo through the glass. You’re quickly pulled from your puppy-based-hypnosis by something moving out of the corner of your eye.

You squint up at the apartment window, but the curtain is instantly yanked shut. You suddenly feel quite unwelcome in the small town. You try to shake your discomfort off, you only came for gas anyway. You didn’t think your car can make it through the washed out dirt road leading into the town, so you had trekked into Ambrose on foot, gas can in hand.

You spy a gas station up the road. _Bingo_. There’s your ticket out of this nerve-wracking town. You hike towards your savior, trying to make yourself look as unassuming as possible. Your eye is suddenly caught by an odd looking building. You squint at the large sign, momentarily sure that you had misread it. 

**_House of Wax_ **

A… wax museum? Kind of an odd thing for such a tiny town to have. You stand still for a few moments, staring at the large, angular building. You shake your fascination off, you need to get your gas and get back on the road. It’s not that you’re in any particular hurry; you don’t have a set designation. You just need to get this anxiety out of your head. You need to get out of this odd little town.

You trek up to the gas station. It’s a bit run down, but it’ll do. As soon as you get close, you notice the always dreaded sign.

**_Be Right Back_ **

You can’t help but laugh out loud, _of course_ the attendant is away the one time you need them. You stash your gas can by the station, and make your way towards the building that had caught your eye in the first place. You near the large doors.

**_Closed_ **

You huff in exasperation. Is everything in this town closed?

You’re startled from your internal whining when you see… someone peaking out at you from around the nearest corner. They seem large, and their dark hair hangs over their broad shoulder.

“Hello?”

No response. You decide to approach the stranger, maybe they’re an employee. You jog around the corner, just barely catching the sight of long black hair before the person is gone. They obviously don’t want to be found, so you give up on the idea. You circle back to front of the museum.

**_Open_ **

Did that person flip the sign? It’s good enough for you, so you cautiously enter the building. You take in the sight of the hyper-realistic wax figures. They’re unnerving (almost more so than the town itself) but also somehow beautiful. You can tell that a staggering amount of work went into every detail. You slowly make your way though the rooms, taking in the tiny figurines, oil paintings, and ornate furniture. You look more closely at a painting and spy a small signature.

_Vincent ___

__So someone named Vincent makes the paintings. You idly wonder who makes the wax sculptures. You pick up a figurine as carefully as possible, pushing down your guilt at touching the art, and are surprised to find that Vincent also makes the sculptures._ _

__“Hmm, I’d sure like to meet this Vincent guy.” You murmur aloud to yourself. Obviously the shunning you’ve been getting from the townsfolk is getting to you._ _

__You jump as you hear a thud come from the doorway. You whip around just in time to see that familiar flash of black hair._ _

__“Hey! I don’t bite!” You’re quickly getting tired of being stalked by a stranger, so you take off after them. If they can follow you around, they can talk to you. You round the corner and come face to face with a man. He’s tall, and he has that oh-so-familiar black hair. He turns his face from you, hiding it behind the curtain of his hair. He comes across as painfully shy, or someone who has some serious social anxiety. You feel guilty for forcing him into a situation that makes him feel the need to hide._ _

__“Ah, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.” You look down at your feet in an attempt to make him more comfortable._ _

__He doesn’t respond. You glance up and see him shaking his head._ _

__“Um. You don’t- uh, are you... nonverbal?” You blush. How awkward are you going to make this situation?_ _

__He nods. You sigh in relief. At least he’s not keeping silent out of anger._ _

__“Are you Vincent, by any chance?” He nods again, his hair still obscuring his expression. As you glance around at his art, your appreciation of his work wells up and overflows._ _

__“WOW! Your art is so _amazing_. I mean, you made those sculptures- they’re so lifelike- and those gorgeous paintings! You’re, like, the most impressive artist I’ve ever seen. You must have been training for so lon-” He turns to you in his surprise as you ramble. You notice for the first time that he’s wearing a skin-colored mask. It’s odd, sure, but whatever. Everybody has their quirks. You smile at him, and you wish that you could see if he’s smiling too._ _

__“Anyway, um, I really love your work. Did you flip the open sign so I could see it?” You’re trying to be polite, so you look past his mask into his eyes- eye? He turns away from you when you peer into the empty eye hole in his mask._ _

__A blush worms it’s way over your face. You’ve messed it up _again_! You think hard for a moment on how to remedy the situation. You take a small step towards him and hold out your hand._ _

__“Sorry, I haven’t even introduced myself.” You tell him your name and leave your hand hanging in the air. He cautiously turns back to you, and gingerly takes your hand. He has a surprisingly gentle handshake for such a large man, but it fits his personality. You beam at him, feeling like maybe you’ve fixed the atmosphere. You find yourself wishing again that you could see if he’s smiling._ _

__“So… do you have a favorite sculpture?” You grin as he motions for you to follow him into the display room. The gas can wait._ _


	2. Meeting the Mechanic

“Vincent?” A low, accented voice calls the name from the room’s entrance. You’re mildly surprised that someone else had entered the empty museum; the town just feels so _empty_.

You think to yourself that Vincent is more startled by the stranger’s presence than you are. His head jerks up almost violently and he raises his hands in a _surrender_ gesture. You look quizzically between the, frankly, intimidating looking man beside you and the one leaning casually in the doorway. He’s about the same size as Vincent, but he’s quite handsome and well put together. You idly note that he doesn’t wear a mask like Vincent does. You find yourself wondering why he’s wearing a suit in an empty wax museum.

“Make a friend, did’ya?” You’re jolted from your stupor by his voice. When your eyes focus, you find him staring intently at you. His gaze sends a cold chill down your spine. You’re not sure what it is, but something about this stranger makes you nervous.

“I, uh, asked him to show me around.” You answer for Vincent, for some reason you find yourself feeling the need to defend him. The man comes across as charming, but his voice has a cold edge to it. The fact that Vincent is visibly nervous makes you even more uneasy. You creep closer to Vincent as you watch him wring his hands.

“Is that so…” It isn’t a question, and you grow increasingly anxious. “Well then, welcome to Ambrose! My thanks for taking an interest in my brother’s work.” His face becomes the picture of friendliness as he speaks. 

You startle and look between the two men. Brothers? You wouldn’t have guessed. Other than their height, they don’t seem similar in any way. Hair color, personality, general vibe. All starkly different.

“Ah, where _are_ my manners today? I’m Bo.” He saunters to you and shakes your hand politely. You give him your name. He smiles down at you and you can’t help but feel a bit shy. You glance over at Vincent and find him fiddling with a figurine.

“It’s nice to meet you, Bo. Um, are you an artist as well?” Your face flushes as he gives your hand a firm squeeze before letting it go. 

“Aha, no. I’m afraid I didn’t really get the creative gene. I run the gas station down the street.” He rubs his neck, seeming bashful. You feel a twinge of guilt for making assumptions.

“Oh! I actually only stopped in Ambrose because my car ran out of gas. I came in here to pass the time until you came back to the station.” You feel a tad disappointed that your time with Vincent is coming to an end, but you need to get back on the road. While you don’t have a strict schedule, you do have plans. Places to be.

Bo smiles at you before turning to his brother. “Well thanks for entertaining our guest Vincent, but I’ll take it from here.” Vincent nods and moves to leave the room.

“Oh, wait!” You jog over to Vincent. “Thanks again for showing me around the museum. If I’m ever in this area again I’ll visit, ok?” He nods slowly and you feel strangely sure that he’s blushing under his mask. He takes a lingering look at your face before hurrying out the door. 

“Aw, don’t look so sad honey. He treats everybody like that.” Bo moves to stand behind you and sets a heavy hand on your shoulder. The pet name combined with the touch makes your cheeks warm.

“He’s shy, huh.” You look off at a sculpture, not wanting Bo to notice your embarrassment.

“Somethin’ like that.” He pats your shoulder and jerks his thumb in the direction of the exit. “Let’s get you your gas. Although… It’s getting dark. Maybe you’d like to stay in town for the night?”

You glance out the window. The sun is on the horizon, how had you lost track of time so badly? You know the answer. It’s the intriguing man that you’d spent the afternoon with. Of course the art is interesting, but observing Vincent’s passion for it was even more so. As well as learning to communicate with him without words. It’d take some practice, but you’re already picking up what his gestures mean. The more you think about him, the more attractive the idea of staying becomes.

“That’s probably a good idea. Is there a motel in Ambrose?” You look up at him as you exit the museum together. He’s smiling, no, _smirking_ down at you. That chill runs through you again, but it’s... a little different this time. Warm rather than cold. Your eyes shoot down to your feet.

“Y’know, there are extra rooms at Vincent and I’s house. No charge.” He points at a large house and you see Vincent watching the two of you through one of the windows. You laugh and wave, Vincent timidly waves back before retreating farther into the house. You turn to Bo. He has a tense, almost angry look on his face. It seems that the brothers don’t get along very well.

You consider Bo’s offer as you make your way to the gas station. Staying with the odd pair for the night? It makes you nervous, but considering how the other inhabitants of Ambrose have so carefully avoided you, maybe staying with the only friendly people in town might be a good idea. You think about Vincent’s gentle handshake. Bo’s inviting smile. Your face burns hot again.

“Uh, I think I’d like to take you up on your offer.”

Bo’s face lights up in a pleased smile.

This is definitely a bad idea.


	3. Making a Mess

“And riiight here, is your room.” Bo leads you through the house with a gentle hand on your shoulder. You’re slightly off put by his boldness in touching a stranger so much, but you brush it off as some sort of “southern hospitality.” You peer into the room. It’s nice, with a large bed and window. You’d been a bit surprised at the messy state of the rest of the house (although you’re in no place to judge, considering your mid-roadtrip car) but the spare room is clean and nicely decorated.

“Thanks again for your hospitality, Bo. You’re too kind.” You smile up at him. You expect him to let go of your shoulder now that you’re at your room, but he doesn’t. In fact, he squeezes it before sliding his hand to the back of your neck. Your face flushes, it’s not everyday that a handsome stranger touches you so boldly. You sneak a glance at his face. You were expecting another smug smirk, but his smile is wistful. He seems… sad.

“Um, are you alright?” You turn to face him. You don’t know what’s wrong with him, but you hate to think that you’d upset him somehow.

His face smooths back out. It’s almost like he’s mentally coming back from somewhere else. “Oh I’m right as rain darlin’.” The smirk returns and he playfully pats the top of your head. His fingers momentarily slip into your hair, feeling it. “You just get yourself comfortable. Help yourself to the kitchen if you’re hungry.” With that he makes his way down the hallway, saying something about work.

And then there was one. You. All by your lonesome, you miss the two men’s attention already. You’re pretty hungry, so you decide to entertain yourself by finding out what your new friends keep in their fridge. You make your way down the stairs and through the house, taking in the art (surely made by Vincent) as you go.

When you find the kitchen, you’re surprised to find the light already on. You peek inside and _duh_ , Bo isn’t the only inhabitant. Vincent is standing at the counter, eating something out of a bowl. His mask is pushed up over his mouth and you notice scar tissue covering half of what you can see of his face. Is that what’s he’s hiding with the mask?

“Hey Vincent!” You try to sound cheery, but you already know that your presence will startle him. What you weren’t expecting is for him to be so startled that he drops the ceramic bowl, which of course shatters. Shards, milk, and cereal covers the floor.

“Oh shit, I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to startle you!” Sharp embarrassment floods you. Vincent yanks his mask down hard enough to leave fingermarks in the wax. You rush over and you both squat down to pick up the sharp chunks of ceramic.

“I’m really sorry, Vincent. Did Bo not tell you that I’m staying the night?” You gather the pieces, narrowly avoided stabbing yourself with the sharp ones. Vincent, on the other hand, has just about the most graceful hands you’ve ever seen. He handles the slippery ceramic as if there’s no danger in it at all. You’re pulled from your admiration by one of said hands waving in front of your face.

“Oh! I’m sorry, I got distracted.” You laugh nervously and notice that he’s shaking his head.

“So, Bo _didn’t_ tell you?” He shakes his head again.

“Well, gee. That’s kinda rude of him. I’ll have to give him a piece of my mind later, eh?” Vincent frantically shakes his head.

“Oh… Bo’s kinda got anger issues, doesn’t he?” Vincent pauses before nodding slowly, hesitantly. 

“Are things… ok? Between you and Bo I mean. It’s kinda tense…” Vincent pauses, like he’s thinking about how to communicate what he wants to say. He haltingly puts his hand over his heart and pats his chest softly.

“Huh?” You don’t really understand what he’s trying to say. He thinks for a moment, before tapping over his heart and gesturing between him and the direction of the gas station with his other hand.

The message he’s giving dawns on you, and you have to resist the urge to say _awww_ out loud, which would probably embarrass him. “You love each other? Even though you clash.” He nods and it’s almost _too_ adorable.

“That’s really sweet…” In your distraction, you accidentally close your hand on a sharp shard. “Ow! Ah, I think I cut my hand.” You open it and pull the piece out. Blood runs down your wrist in a small rivulet. 

Vincent _panics_. He frantically stares at your hand for a moment before running off down the hallway.

“Um, Vincent?! Are you scared of blood or something?” You call out to him, but of course you won’t get a response. Within seconds he’s running back into the kitchen, first-aid kit in hand. He forcibly pulls you over to the sink and washes your hand with gentle fingers. You’re surprised by his strength, although it makes sense. His supplies and sculptures are probably pretty heavy. He bandages your hand with ease that must come from experience.

“Wow, you’re good at this. Do you get hurt a lot when you sculpt?” He shrugs, which doesn’t really answer your question.

“Now just what is goin’ on in here?” You both jump and turn to find Bo looking both concerned and amused by the, admittedly, odd situation in the kitchen.

“Um…” You laugh, but Bo takes one look at the blood on the ground and rushes over.

“Vincent, you ok?” He immediately looks Vincent over and you can barely believe your eyes. He obviously cares a lot more about his brother than he lets on. Vincent nods and points to you.

“Uh, I cut myself on accident.” You hold up your bandaged hand and he turns his attention on you. 

“Now just how did you manage that?” He gently takes your hurt hand in his and examines it. You’re a little embarrassed by his concern, but it’s kind of nice in it’s own way. “Clumsy little thing, ain’t’cha?”

Now, just how are you supposed to respond to that?


End file.
